


Trees are the best make out spots

by pen_in_the_wind



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: A lot of gays, Also Jenna is really important to me, Anxiety, Cutting, Drug Use, High School, Homophobia, I just wanted to write an other lame high school au, Josh has pink hair because that's important, M/M, Smut, but it's only weed, it will come eventually, past depression
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-26
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-08-27 05:47:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8389555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pen_in_the_wind/pseuds/pen_in_the_wind
Summary: For many Tyler Joseph was an angel from heaven. Basketball star in his christian high school, obedient son, thoughtful brother, faithful singer in the Church choir.And if behind the cute smiles of crooked teeth, dark thoughts were carefully hidden, no one knew.Also, if Tyler though about cute boys with pink hair and nose rings, no one knew either.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi: http://buticanthelpfallinginlove.tumblr.com/

For many Tyler Joseph was an angel from heaven. Basketball star in his christian high school, obedient son, thoughtful brother, faithful singer in the Church choir.  
And if behind the cute smiles of crooked teeth dark thoughts were carefully hidden, no one knew. 

 

On the first day of his last year as a high schooler, Tyler found his habitual friends in front of the school, everyone excited to finally be a senior. Tyler was asked about his summer, if he thought that the basketball team could won the regional championship this year and if he we’ll be attending Brendon Urie’s party on Saturday. 

Brendon Urie was this hyperactive kid that no one could keep up with and who seems to be friends with everyone but close with no one. He wasn’t usually hanging out with Tyler’s habitual crowd but everybody knew that Brendon’s parties were legendary.  
Tyler first declined; legendary or not, parties were not his thing but his friends were already making fun of him for being the « too good christian boy » and got quickly tired of it, finally agreeing to go. 

His first classes were boring introductions to even more boring classes and Tyler just wanted to go home already. After school was the basket ball practice, first of the year and the coach seemed even harsher than last year, shouting instructions and getting angrier by the minute when he realized than some of the boys had lost their shape during the summer. 

 

That night Tyler realized that he was starting to hate basketball. And school. And his friends. And singing the same songs over and over at church every Sunday when he knew could spend this time working on his own songs.  
But his parents were proud of him this way. The good son with good basketball skills and a future at college. 

When he thought about quitting, a deep feeling of guilt invaded him, crawling from stomach to his brain, sticking to his mind and taking the control of it. Quitting basketball meant disappointing his parents, his coach, his friends on the team and what would he do then? No one was going to be proud of him for writing non-sense music in his basement. 

But if he got that basketball scholarship to go to college, it meant that this sport was going to be his life for the next 5 years and somehow, this idea upset him even more. He felt the pressure of it. Of this path that was already decided for him.  
Failure wasn’t an option. He had to get that scholarship and make his family proud. Being miserable for his parent’s sake. It seemed fucked up. 

It was now 2 in the morning. Tyler was used to insomnia but he hoped to sleep at least 4 hours that night or tomorrow would be hell. But his phoned lighted up.  
A text from Jenna : « Hey Ty, we didn’t had time to catch up today, want to go for an ice cream tomorrow after school? ».  
Tyler smiled at his phone. Sweet Jenna. She probably was his only real friend.  
Tyler always thought that she understood him better because she was one of the rare persons to see through his everyday mask. She didn’t ask about basketball that much, nor about college possibilities and always asked to hear the new songs that Tyler was working on. In freshmen year at one pool party, she found out about the marks in Tyler’s upper thighs. She never judged, just hugged him and asked him to call her the next time Tyler felt the need to do something like that.  
Of course, it wasn’t 100% effective and there were still times when Tyler would cut without telling her but somehow she always guessed. 

He replied that he will meet her at 4 outside of the school gates tomorrow and tried to fall asleep. 

 

The next day was boringly similar to the precedent but no basketball practice was planned so Tyler was able to go get that Ice cream with Jenna.  
She told him about her wonderful summer in a christian camp where she met a boy, Tyler already forgot the name, that she sadly will never see again because they lived so far apart.  
« And you, how was your summer? »

Tyler never knew how to respond to that. His summers were never something special. He practiced basketball at home and worked at their local church instead of going to school. 

Seeing him silent, Jenna rephrased her sentence: « I mean, I know you had your work at the church, but other than that? Some new songs? You met some people ? A sweet girl? A cute boy? ». 

Tyler gulped and frantically checked around him that no one was listening. 

He told Jenna once, after she cooked him for hours about life, love, dreams, and taste in boybands, that yes, sometimes he found some boys cute. It was sleepy confession , made in the dark at some party where they were the two only sober left, in a moment of weakness and Tyler wished she didn’t remembered. 

« Don’t say things like that Jenna. And no. No one. »   
Jenna seemed disappointed but kept quiet. 

Instantly Tyler’s mind went to that memory of a hot summer day, when the Church charged him to buy some new sheet holders at the music store.  
He did met a cute boy that day.  
A cute boy with pink hair and a ring in his nose and crinkled eyes when he smiled. Tyler remembered stuttering over his words and blushing when the guy told him he had a cool shirt (something pastel that day) and insisting on helping Tyler everywhere around the shop.  
The guy had asked for his name, pointing to his own name tag and adding that it was unfair that Tyler knew his name and not the other way around. Josh. Tyler had said his name, blushed again and quickly left the store before making a fool of himself.

Josh.

 

The name stayed in Tyler’s mind for a long time. And the pink hair, the nose ring, and the bright smile.

_______

 

At The Party

The music was loud in the living room, a mess of dancing bodies in the dark. 

The kitchen was crowded but at least, you could hear yourself talk and see the faces of the people you were talking too. 

But Tyler wasn’t talking to anyone, silently sipping on his soda, trying to hide the fact that he hadn’t had one alcoholic drink the whole night. His friends were everywhere in the house, Tyler quickly getting bored of dancing to the repetitive beats. 

That’s when he saw it, a flickering bright pink strand of hair  across the kitchen. 

Josh turned around and seemed to recognize him immediately, walking toward Tyler with a big smile on his face. 

God he was cute when his eyes crinkled because of his smile, Tyler thought.

« Hi »  
« Hi.. hum.. I recognize you. From the music store. Your name is Josh. » Good, Tyler. Stating his own name… Tyler started to get goosebumps from how nervous he was. How do you talk to strangers? At parties ?! « I mean.. I’m Tyler. »

Josh smirked and responded in a low voice « I know. I remember you ».

Was this flirting? Was this guy flirting with him?! How do you know if someone’s really flirting with you?!

« Anyway, It’s a good party, you know Brendon? »  
« Not really but.. um … we go to the same school. »  
« Good. And you’re enjoying yourself? » The smirk again. Tyler didn’t know what to do with those.  
« Not really.. Parties aren’t really my thing. I prefer when it’s more… quiet. »  
« Come with me » 

Without waiting for response, Josh grabbed his hand and lead him through the house, passing by the dancing bodies in the dark living room, all the way to the backyard. But they didn’t stop there, walking to the very back, behind a tree where a simple wood bench was standing there. Finally letting go of Tyler’s end, Josh sat down and patted the place next to him, inviting Tyler to do the same. From there they were mostly hidden from the house behind the trunk and you could only hear distant noises of the party. 

« It’s more quiet here. You prefer? »  
« Yes. Thank you. It’s nice here. »  
« This is usually where Brendon goes when he smokes weed and his parents are in the house… But I guess, smoking weed isn’t really your thing… »  
« Uhm no. I mean.I just never tried it. »  
« Do you want to ? » Josh pulled out a pre-rolled joint from his jacket.  
« Uhmm… Why not? Just a little ? »

Josh grinned. He lit the joint, draw the first breath of smoke out of it and gently put it in Tyler’s hand.  
« Go slow, don’t swallow just yet. The smoke. »

Tyler nervously brought the joint to his lips. He coughed. Hard. And blushed furiously while passing back the joint to Josh. Why did he try to smoke?! He looked so ridiculous now. But Josh was patting him on the back, drawing closer and Tyler felt it was worth it already. 

« Okay pal? It’s normal the first time. »  
Josh was still grinning at him and Tyler couldn’t help but giggle at his own ridiculousness. 

« I shouldn’t do things just to look cooler than I am. »  
« Either way, you’re cute »  
Tyler eyes snapped back up to look at Josh’s face. He was closer now, somehow. A small smile on his lips. Seemingly confident while Tyler had one of internal freaking out moment where everything seemed blurry and spooky.  
He looked down again, to intimidated by Josh’s gaze asked, « what I’m supposed to feel exactly ? From the weed, I mean. ».  
« Depends of the person. Mostly relaxation I guess. Like everything’s a bit slower »

Well, Tyler didn’t feel relaxed, his heart was pounding in his chest and he couldn’t exactly tell why.

« But you only had one sip. It shouldn’t affect you that much ».  
Tyler dared to eye him again. « I still feel strange. But I don’t think it’s the weed ».

« I know. Can I kiss you? »

And that’s when Tyler stopped thinking. Probably forever. Because his brain didn’t registered that his lips voiced a « yes » that sounded somewhat assured. The next thing he registered was the feeling of soft lips against his, a hand a the base of his neck, his eyes close and his own lips lazily responding. It was sweet, slow and warm.  
When Josh’s lips abandoned his, it took Tyler some time to open his eyes again, falling on Josh. Sweet, happy, beautiful Josh, looking at him. Tyler realized his hand was still on his neck, a thumb caressing his jaw. And Tyler didn’t want this hand to go too so he moved closer on the bench, their bodies pressed together now.  
Josh kissed him again and this time, Tyler forced his brain to remain conscient, he wanted to record this moment in his memory, be able to play it again and again in his mind.  
Josh deepened the kiss and Tyler dared to place one of his hand on josh ribs, going past his jacket and on his shirt. 

 

« Wow, I see the make out spot is already taken ! »

Tyler whipped his head in direction of the new voice. Brendon Urie was standing there, his arms around an other dark-haired boy.  
« Sorry for the interruption boys, we’ll find an other place! »

And they were already gone but panics started to rise inside Tyler’s chest. He was just caught kissing someone. Kissing a boy. Kissing a boy with colored hair and piercings and gauges in his ears.  
Brendon Urie just caught them. And Brendon Uries was famous around the school for telling the best stories, always the best gossip. Tyler was screwed.

« Tyler, you’re okay? It’s just Brendon, he’s.. »  
« I have to go! Sorry »  
Without an other word, Tyler left the bench and rushed to the front of the house, already leaving the place and wandering in the streets. 

 

He was so fucked. Everyone will know. By Monday, everyone in his high school will have heard the story of Tyler Joseph caught kissing a boy at Brendon Urie’s party.  
Maybe it will be even sooner.  
What if Brendon starts telling it tonight? Some of the people at the party could tell it tonight at their parents when they get home and it will be the conversation of everyone at church tomorrow morning. And then Tyler’s parent will know.  
And FUCK. He was so fucked. He didn’t even know why he kissed that Josh in the first place.  
Since when did Tyler wanted to kiss boys anyway ? And why did he follow him the backyard? 

Tyler was almost arrived at his house when he’s breathing started to slow down.  
He thought that maybe, maybe, Brendon wouldn’t tell everyone. 

And the kiss was nice. He couldn’t deny it. Josh was nice. And cute. But Josh was probably angry at him that he left without any explanation.  
He needed to speak about this with someone.  
But no-one could know that sometimes, Tyler thought boys were cute. Or that he kissed them.  
But Jenna already kind of new. And she was always nice about it.  
Maybe he’ll text her. 

For now, Tyler just lay in his bed, unable to sleep.The fear was keeping him awake. Of people finding out, of being rejected, by his friends, his family, by Josh, also. 

But for once, he had something nice to think about in the darkness of his bedroom. 

Josh had kissed him.


End file.
